These 10 aggressive insects attack trees and can cause death or disfigure a tree to the point where it needs to be cut.

This rogue?EUR??,,????'???s gallery was suggested by Steve Nix, an arborist and forester based in Alabama. Imidacloprid and other insecticides are approved treatments for many of these pests. Be sure to follow manufacturer?EUR??,,????'???s instructions carefully.

Pine bark beetle larvae burrow beneath the bark of pine trees, interfering with sap flow and ultimately killing the tree.



1. Bark Beetles: Bark beetles are the most devastating insects to pines. They exist throughout North America in both eastern and western forms, are commercially destructive and are a contender for the most destructive tree insect in the country.The pest will kill healthy trees and trees already weakened by other factors. The bark beetles girdle trees while building egg-laying galleries. The lack of sap flow immediately kills the tree, the insects move to adjacent live trees and the damage spreads.






The so-called ?EUR??,,????'??lerp psyllid?EUR??,,????'?? is a scale insect from Australia that attacks Australian-native eucalyptus trees.



2. Eucalyptus Redgum Lerp Psyllid: The redgum lerp psyllid (Glycaspis brimblecombei) was found in Los Angeles in 1998 and has spread throughout much of California. This insect from Australia also occurs in Florida and Mexico and may eventually infest much of the southern United States where susceptible eucalyptus trees are grown.






Known as the spruce budworm, the larvae of Choristoneura-genus moths are a killer of spruce in the East and Douglas fir in the West.

 


3. Spruce Budworm: Spruce budworm is one of the most destructive native insects in the northern spruce and fir forests of the Eastern United States and Canada. Outbreaks occur every few years and balsam fir is the species most severely damaged by the budworm.






The tussock moth defoliates the tops of firs and Douglas firs in western North America. The pest can kill up to one-third of the trees in a stand of Douglas fir.



4. Tussock Moth: The Douglas-fir tussock moth is an important defoliator of true firs and Douglas-fir in western North America. The larvae feeds on current year?EUR??,,????'???s foliage, causing it to shrivel, turn brown and will kill or top-kill the tree.






Adelgids threaten entire forests of eastern trees and also pose a challenge for commercial Christmas tree growers.



5. Wooly Adelgids: The balsam and hemlock wooly adelgids are threatening entire tree species in parts of the eastern U.S. forest. Although not a commercial timber threat (with the exception of Christmas tree growers) the wooly adelgid attacks balsam fir and the eastern hemlocks killing entire stands on critical sites.






The Asian moth species lays eggs that hatch larvae that quickly defoliate and kill hardwood trees.



6. Gypsy Moth: The exotic gypsy moth has been called one of the ?EUR??,,????'??most notorious pests of hardwood trees in the eastern United States.?EUR??,,????'?? Since 1980, the gypsy moth larvae has defoliated close to a million or more forested acres each year. The moth was introduced into the United States in 1862.






Known as EAB for short, the emerald ash borer feeds on trees?EUR??,,????'??? cambial bark, killing limbs and eventually dooming trees.



7. Emerald Ash Borer: The Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an exotic, wood-boring beetle discovered in Michigan in 2002. EAB is blamed for killing millions of ash trees annually and forcing quarantines on firewood and tree nursery stock in several states.






ALB larvae burrow deep into a tree?EUR??,,????'???s heartwood, weakening it until the tree literally falls apart and dies.



8. Longhorned Beetles: This group of insects includes the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). The ALB was first found in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1996 but has now been reported in 14 states and threatening more.The adult insects lays eggs in an opening in the bark. The larvae then bore large galleries deep into the wood. These ?EUR??,,????'??feeding?EUR??,,????'?? galleries disrupt the vascular functioning of the tree and eventually weaken the tree to the point that the tree literally falls apart and dies.






This is a European bark beetle. It and the North American-native elm bark beetle carry Dutch elm disease, which has wiped out North America?EUR??,,????'???s native elm.



9. Elm Bark Beetle: The native elm bark beetle and/or the European elm bark beetle is critical for overland spread of Dutch elm disease (DED) and is worthy of being included in this ?EUR??,,????'??worst?EUR??,,????'?? list. The DED fungus is transmitted to healthy trees in two ways: bark beetles transmit spores from diseased to healthy trees and root grafting can also spread the disease when tightly spaced.






Eastern tent caterpillars and forest tent caterpillars feed on cherry, oak, maple and other Eastern tree species.



10. Tent Caterpillars: The eastern (ETC) and forest (FTC) tent caterpillars are first seen in the spring in eastern U.S. deciduous forests. The ETC makes its nest in the fork of branches. The FTC actually builds no tent but is by far the most destructive of the two.